Lightning
by Cor Serpentis
Summary: Lightning speared the surrounding hills, piercing the black clouds suffocating the sky. As the wind and rain beat against the earth, sounds cacophonous with the crashing thunder, the sporadic light edged the world in hints of quicksilver. SasuNaruSasu
1. Lightning

**Lightning**

Written by Apythii

Chapter 1

* * *

Lightning speared the surrounding hills, piercing the black clouds suffocating the sky. As the wind and rain beat against the earth, sounds cacophonous with the crashing thunder, the sporadic light edged the world in hints of quicksilver. A solitary figure fought off an imaginary horde of foes, braving the elements alone.

Naruto panted as he continued the rigorous training set he had given himself. Ero-sennin was probably at one of the local whorehouses "researching". Most of the time, Naruto ended up training on his own. Humph, six years and he still hadn't gotten Sasuke back. Three years previous, he had been so close.

**Flashback**

_Sasuke stood before Orochimaru, fully prepared to accept his soul into his body. With a near inhuman yell, Naruto leapt at the Snake Sannin. Orochimaru, overwhelmed by his anticipation for his new body, was caught off guard. Growling, Naruto charged the evil thing before him, a rasengan springing to life in his hands. As he continued his attack, Naruto forced all his chakra into that rasengan. _

_On an impulse, he started a sealing technique that he knew would be useless against the Sannin before him. Naruto hadn't even mastered it yet, and it wasn't lethal to begin with. All it did was preserve food for at least four years-and no jutsu could break this seal. Extremely useful on missions, useless on the battlefield. Nevertheless, Naruto combined his rasengan and the preservation sealing jutsu. _

_Blind with fury, Naruto's attack hit it's target. Orochimaru flew backwards, hitting the wall with terrible force. However, he got back up, giggling insanely. "That tickled", he mocked, "but now I can let you watch me take over your friend's body". Sasuke watched with haunted eyes, unable to do anything with the curse seal tainting his mind. Suddenly, Orochimaru bound Naruto with chakra ropes and turned back to Sasuke. "Now for my body", he cackled, "…"._

_ Nothing happened. Incensed, Orochimaru spat, "What the hell is going on?" Something clicked in the Snake Sannin's mind, and he looked at his chest-the spot where Naruto's rasengan hit. Instead of a wound, there was a spiraling mark that looked exactly like the preservation seal. Stepping out of the shadows, Jiraiya laughed heartily. "It seemed Naruto sealed your soul to that body for four more years!" Jiraiya's face bespoke nothing but mirth. "You know better than I that that seal cannot be broken for that long, you used it as a model for you immortality jutsu!" Orochimaru grabbed the entranced Sasuke, "You'll die for this Naruto!" and he fled._

**End Flashback**

"SASUKE! I WILL BRING YOU BACK!" Naruto shouted in frustration. As his emotions were poured into the air, he collapsed from exhaustion. Being days away from Konoha, Naruto felt that he needed to up his training. How else is he going to keep up, and surpass, the Uchiha? Gathering himself, Naruto jumped back into his fighting stance and sparred with his imagination.

Naruto summoned up his chakra and began a smooth, fluid set of motions. Flowing forward with his right foot, he moved into a roundhouse kick quickly followed by an aerial jump. As he imagined an opponent jumping to meet him, he used a burst of chakra to change direction in mid-air. Landing lightly on hi feet, he launched himself into a gracefully executed combination of punches followed up with a dizzying set of kick that would send any foe sky high.

After completing the combination, he created five Shadow Clones and vaulted into the raging sky. Using the clones as platforms, he surrounded his mental foe and began an endless aerial combination that required no stopping or pausing. Eventually, maintaining the clones exhausted his chakra supply and they disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto nimbly fell to the ground, cushioning his fall with a final burst of chakra to support his legs. As the rain plastered his golden locks to his whiskered face, Naruto let an uneasy sleep fall over him.

* * *

A few hours later, Naruto awoke feeling as if a set of Lee's training weights were attached to his eyelids. Slowly pushing himself up, Naruto readied himself for a more ninjutsu-oriented training set. Ignoring his depleted chakra, Naruto forced himself to create two Shadow Clones and began to experiment with the makeup of his replications. Ero-sennin's words chose to replay themselves in his mind, _"Naruto, never try to create a new jutsu when your chakra is depleted…it is dangerous. Too many things can go wrong."_ Dispelling his doubts, Naruto shouted, "What could happen to me? I'm gonna be Hokage, and I can't be beat! What does that pervert know anyway?" Continuing with his training, Naruto let his imagination take over.

Focusing on his two clones, he allowed himself to sense the clone's chakra systems. Suddenly inspiration struck him! _"Yes!" _he thought to himself, _"No one will ever believe this cool jutsu! _Having mastered the _rasengan_, Naruto was a adept at molding chakra. Though he couldn't mold anything useful at a distance, what were Shadow Clones but an extension of himself, right? Using a small amount of his own energy, Naruto began to re-shape the clones' chakra supply. He started to siphon all the chakra into the center of each clone, only leaving the bare minimum for movement. Then, he started to mold it. When he finished, he sent the clones to crash themselves into one of the surrounding trees.

Two HUGE explosions ripped through the area, larger than any _rasengan_ could make. Cackling with glee, Naruto pranced around his handiwork. "Ha! I knew it! I can mold the chakra systems in my Shadow Clones!" Naruto had used all of the extra chakra that was pooled in the center of each clone to form a version of the _rasengan_. What Naruto HADN'T expected to happen was that the '_rasengan_ clones' had increased the surface area and volume of the explosion, magnifying its effects tenfold. Still, this was awesome! All he need now was to figure out if he could make the Shadow Clone _Rasengans_ by tweaking the hand signs, without having to pause and mold the chakra.

* * *

Naruto dropped down on the soaked grass, staring at the sky as lightning played across the clouds, his thought punctuated by the terrible staccato of thunder. _"What the crap can I do to make this jutsu better?_ Naruto thought. _"Maybe if I just threw some stuff together…_and then it was decided. Trembling with excitement and suppressed nervousness, Naruto stood on his feet. He performed the normal hand sighs for Shadow clones, but then added some of the hand signs he saw Sasuke use for his Fireball jutsu.

Naruto jumped as he felt a surge of chakra gather around him, _"Where did this chakra come from?"_ Opening his eyes, he looked around to see if someone had was watching him train. No one was around, and instantly, the other chakra was gone to.

Then Naruto was flung into the air as he was struck by a bolt of lightning. As his body was pierced by a powerful blade of pure energy, he recognized it as the chakra that he had sensed earlier. Bolt after bolt of highly charger lightning lanced through his ragged body. Overwhelmed by the immensity of the power moving through him, Naruto's world turned black.

* * *

Kyubbi roared within his cage. _"Something is not right! What was that chakra earlier!"_ Having lived for several centuries, the ancient fox demon was seldom surprised by something new. This chakra though, frightened him, which enraged him. Howling, he threw himself at the bars of his prison, desperately wanting to get out, to run, to fight whatever was out there. "_There it is again, but stronger! It's, it's in the brat's body!_" Kyubbi panicked, knowing that he was so close to gaining control of his keeper's body and finally getting his freedom. That strange chakra flooded into the demon's cage, obliterating the tainted fox in overwhelming light. Kyubbi's last thoughts were those of horror, _"Wha…what is happe-"_

* * *

Jiraiya stepped into the clearing where Naruto always trained while he was…researching. He knew the boy wanted to learn more, but he had already taught him everything he knew. All that was left was to supervise the blond boy…_He's not a boy any longer_. Naruto was a strong eighteen, and had the most promise he had ever seen in a student. _I wonder if he has that bloodline trait…_

All of Jiraiya's thoughts stopped as he saw Naruto's body lying on the ground, the edges of his clothing charred. Every now and them, sparks would travel the length of his body. Quickly pulling Naruto off the ground, Jiraiya teleported to the Konoha hospital. "Get me the Godaime and a room!" he gasped, as the toll of teleporting over such a distance took hold. "Tell the Hokage that Naruto is in danger!" The startled nursed jumped, "H-Hai!" and she rushed away.

A few moment later, he let himself relax. He knew that Tsunade wouldn't let Naruto die. Jiraiya had some questions for the blond, and some answers as well. _So he does have the bloodline trait, but how strongly?_


	2. Banished Darkness

Well, here is the second part of my story…will it be tragic, humorous, perfect? Who knows, but I will mess with all the characters.

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Naruto…I would be selling animated versions of this story if I did. Huh. BUT, I do however, claim this plot line (grabs battle axe from under pillow), and I will defend it to the death!!! Insert battle cry here

**Chapter 2 **

**Banished Darkness**

* * *

_Naruto stood atop the carved Hokage faces. He felt the warm, calming sun gently caress his face as the light breeze softly ruffled his hair. Alone on his windswept sanctuary, Naruto closed his eyes and breathed in the deep security emanating from the former protectors of Konoha._

_His senses stretched all around him, taking in the strength from the peaceful life around the village. As his mind felt the quiet energy in the calm, cheery sky he felt safe and, most importantly, stable. Smiling he opened his eyes and looked into the cloudless atmosphere- Suddenly great bolts of lightning angrily flashed down from the brilliant heavens._

_Naruto reeled as the surging energy shattered the Hokage monument, taking from him all of his stability and strength. His body began to descend at an ever-increasing rate, as the environment around him slowly lost its tangibility. Darkness sprung up between the cracks slowly spreading across his reality, tearing asunder all that he had ever cared for, leaving him to fall into a pit of darkness._

_Feeling as if his sanity had left him, Naruto huddled in on himself, desperately clinging to the tattered shreds of security that he had felt in the calming, reassuring moment atop the Hokages' earthen faces. The sensation of falling abruptly stopped, and curiosity opened Naruto's eyes._

_Before him lay a sea of stars, endless, stretching to the front and back of his body like an infinite universe of incandescent lights. Caught up in the tranquil beauty before him, Naruto forgot the terrorizing path that led him to this treasure._

_He looked down at himself, and jumped-at least he would have jumped if he could have- when he saw that he had no body! As an experiment, he tried to move an 'arm', but nothing happened. "Wait, I can look around! Maybe I have a HEAD!" The thought of being a floating head kinda freaked Naruto out, yet somehow, he knew that there was no flesh on or around him. Naruto knew that he was just a conscious mind._

_Gathering himself, he attempted to move forward. There was no sensation of movement, but the stars and glittering lights shifted around him. This knowledge led Naruto to believe that he was in some sort of sphere and everything within it moved to his will, except for the body that he didn't have._

_Naruto 'stopped', and the lights stopped with him. He found himself in front of a scintillating star that started to pulse; he assumed it was because of his presence. Hesitantly, Naruto reach forward with a branch of thought and grasped the twinkling light with a mental hand._

_Wind beat against his ears as Naruto was pulled into the star, and he found himself observing…himself. He watched as he saw his younger version threw kunai after kunai, shuriken after shuriken, in an effort to improve himself. "I remember that day, Sasuke had just shown the class how simply PERFECT he was…huh, and I don't remember Hinata watching me…"_

_As the memory receded, Naruto found himself back amongst the other stars. Wonder coursed through him, "All these…stars…are my memories? What is the point in reliving them?" Throughout his ponderings, he felt as if he would not be able to leave until he had learned something, but he didn't know what._

_Grasping another star, Naruto felt the rush of movement as he came upon another day in his childhood. He smiled to himself as he saw chibi Naruto play with the chibi versions of Shikamaru, Kiba, and Chouji. He felt the joy of having friend flow through him anew. "At least this one isn't as lonely as the first", he thought, "I sometimes wish I could still be so carefree." The scene before him slowly drew to a close, and he saw families come and pick up their children, inevitably leaving mini-Naruto alone in a forsaken playground. An echo of the pain little Naruto was feeling stung as it reasserted itself in Naruto's mind. The setting blurred, showing Naruto walking along a path sneaking a glance at a mini-Sasuke sitting alone by a lake. Their eyes meet. The connection was swiftly broken by the other boy._

_Naruto gasped as he was thrown from the memory. Going off of the guess that he was supposed to learn something, he tried to find some similarities between the two memories._

_The first was brief, the second longer. The first was himself alone; the second had more to do with friends. In the first he was sad and frustrated, in the second he was happy, then sad and frustrated. "Aha! A connection!" Naruto proceeded to attack this new development._

_Immediately bypassing the happy emotion in the second memory, Naruto focused on the similar ones. Sadness was caused by loneliness; in the first because he was alone and the second because he was without family. Frustration was caused by…Sasuke; the first because Sasuke was so much better than the me and the second because Sasuke ignored me._

_"Alright! The two are connected because of Sasuke! Huh, what the heck?!" As the shock of finding the memories focused on Sasuke faded, he started to look over the memories again. "That's weird, it looks like the memories end right after I see or remember Sasuke…great more proof that I'm obsessing over Sasuke. Whatever, I need to get out of this…dream and I'm not gonna stay here because of that JERK! So I need to learn whatever I'm supposed to about Sasuke."_

_Furious, Naruto launched himself at memory after memory, growing more and more enraged as he saw more and more of Sasuke. Sheesh, he felt like Sakura obsessing over that Uchiha all the time. As the time passed, Naruto resigned himself to watching his memories focus on Sasuke, and his anger slowly faded. Desperate to maintain the anger, Naruto entered another memory._

_This was one he knew all too well, the Battle at the Valley of the End. Reliving every blow, every punch, kick, fire blast, and chakra-induced blow. He felt the pain of the chidori tearing through his body, and the heat of the Kyubbi healing him. Naruto felt every painful second of that battle. The entire memory suddenly changed, and something happened that Naruto did not recognize. Everything suddenly seemed weightless and spectral, as if it were all fading away. Wisps of nothingness enveloped the memory, leaving nothing solid except for Naruto and Sasuke. There was a sudden weight on the scene, as if something was being forced together…and then Naruto felt it._

_He recognized the feel, but he didn't know where from. He felt it increase, surge, rage within him. Naruto nearly cried out as pressure began to unbearably build inside his body. A yell ripped its way out of his throat as pure bolt of liquid fire, of crystalline lightning, tore its way out of his body. With diminishing consciousness, Naruto saw the lightning envelop Sasuke's form-the light burning itself into his mind._

_Naruto was back in the black universe that held his memories full of Sasuke…but it wasn't the same. There weren't nearly as many stars, in fact, there was only one. Another thing that stuck out to Naruto was the color; whereas the others had been bright and shining, this one was dull and greasy, like polluted water._

_Gingerly, Naruto reached out to the toxic bubble, wary of what might happen. A familiar feeling of rushing passed over him, but instead of a memory, he felt a wave of powerful emotion. Out of the turmoil, Naruto could only siphon two emotion out of that cyclonic maelstrom that he assumed was from his past. Anger and Hate. It was so powerful that it almost overwhelmed him. Suddenly, the swirling emotions began to converge, and Naruto felt sick. Orochimaru's face had emerged from the shadows of his mind, cackling with a sinister intent._

_Naruto was so put off by the intense emotions that he failed to realize that something was happening. Power had resurfaced within his body, and before he knew it, it was racing at the figure of Orochimaru. Unlike the lightning that had been unleashed against Sasuke, it was tinged with red instead of white light, as if tinged with bloodlust instead of joy. Naruto watched as "Orochimaru" cried out in pain, disappearing in a burst of electrical energy. Naruto pondered the difference in reaction to the lightning, it had killed Orochimaru, but nothing like that happened to Sasuke…why?_

_Light filtered into the darkness surrounding Naruto's consciousness, signaling a return to the world of the living. Abruptly he heard a muffled voice, one that he recognized as the Ero-sennin… "He's coming to, everyone back away for a bit."_

* * *

"He's coming to, everyone back away for a bit," declared Jiraiya, "You'll be in for quite a shock if you don't." Naruto's eyes began to flutter, "Sakura, I said get THE FUCKaway from Naruto!" Sakura jumped and obediently joined Jiraiya and Tsunade against the wall.

Naruto's eyes snapped open, and Sakura jumped forward with a cry, "Naruto!" But was stopped by an angry, super-powered Tsunade. Just then, Sakura noticed that Naruto's eyes were glowing, and there was a crackling in the air. Electricity skittered across Naruto's skin, in stronger and stronger amounts. Slowly, the energy gained enough power to lift Naruto's still-limp body off of the hospital bed.

As the electricity began the form a solid wall of energy around the blond shinobi, two bars of pure light shot out of the teenager. One was a pure, soft light the could blind people with its intensity, the other, a harsh, crackling energy with uncontrollable power. Immediately breaking threw the glass window, the two horse-sized bars of light shot out of the Hospital and headed in…the direction of the Sound…

* * *

**Village Hidden in the Sound**

Sasuke stood on the balcony outside of his apartments. He sighed as the cold night air nipped at his ears, feeling restless, as if someone was going to grab him from behind. He has had this feeling ever since he left Konoha, as if someone could take him back at any second.

He knew this was foolish; he had been gone for six years. If no one could have taken him when he was twelve, no one can when he had progressed farther then the Sannin he trained under. He felt the curse mark pulse, reminding him that he would be incapable of attacking his 'superior'. Leaning on the railing, he looked out into the night, knowing that his gaze would lead back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Sasuke sensed Kabuto coming up the stairs, and he flinched inwardly. It was all he could do to keep his virginity, let alone his sanity, in a place crawling with evil pedophiles who seemed intent on doing perverted things with him. If it weren't for Orochimaru's weird desire to take him at the same instant of the soul transfer jutsu, Sasuke was sure that he would've been raped and molested within an inch of his life.

Kabuto entered his apartments. "Sasuke, Lord Orochimaru wants you to prepare for his arrival." He left after his message was delivered.

Sasuke scoffed, prepare. Orochimaru wanted to jack off while training him. Sasuke's "uniform" consisted of tight, black shorts that wouldn't have passed as briefs in any reputable training facility. _"That's what you get for joining a evil gay guy,"_ he thought bitterly. Changing, Sasuke felt Orochimaru's dark chakra approach the door.

The door opened, admitting a pale, dark haired man. He was tall, and may have been handsome once, but any aesthetic beauty was obscured by sickly white skin and greasy black hair. "Sasuke, my pet," he simpered, "I have something I want to show you."

"What is it, my lord?" Sasuke asked, with barely restrained disgust. He knew that Orochimaru would have some sort of aphrodisiac to give him a hard on as he trained.

"Well, Sasuke, look at me" he commanded, as he stripped himself of his clothing. Sasuke paled as he saw what he had hoped to avoid for at least one more year. _"I should've known that he'd find away around Naruto's accidental seal eventually."_ He stared straight at the smooth, maggot white flesh that covered Orochimaru's chest-unmarked by any seal.

"That's right, my little Sasuke," he chortled, "I'm taking you tonight, and you won't get my little happy drug. I'm gonna make you want it yourself." Orochimaru stalked toward Sasuke, his erection jutting in front of him like an assassin's dagger, waiting to take a life slowly and painfully. He then bound Sasuke with chakra ropes, and made sure he was in a compromising position. To be more accurate, Sasuke's sculpted ass was shoved into the air as his face was pressed into his pillows and his hands were tied to the lower half of the headboard.

Orochimaru chuckled as he saw his prey, his ass in the air, feet bound to the sides of the bed-forcing his legs apart. He settled into this opening, and ran his snake tongue up Sasuke's right thigh. Moving his hand to the waist of Sasuke's…training uniform…he whispered into Sasuke's ear, "I'm going to fuck you up the ass and you're going to cum... then as I cum, not only will I pour my seed into you, I'll pour my soul as well…"

Sasuke shuddered, but endured the taunts. He had to kill his brother, even if it was just his body, it would be enough. The curse mark made him Orochimaru's. He felt his shorts be torn away, and felt the cold air from the window bite at his exposed flesh. He had never felt so turned off in his life. A tongue found its way to his ear, "Don't worry, we're waiting for Kabuto and his camera…" An angry tear slid out of Sasuke's right eye, _"Why the fuck did I do this to myself? Bastard Orochimaru!"_

Heat enveloped Sasuke, and he opened his eyes. He felt overwhelmed, as what appeared to be lightning consumed his flesh, yet left him completely unharmed. Sasuke sensed a lot of chakra building around him, and it was suddenly gone. As his coherency returned, Sasuke looked for Orochimaru, who other than two licks had left him alone. Sasuke, even with all of his mission work in Konoha and his brutal training in Oto, was not prepared for what he saw.

Like Sasuke was previously, light consumed Orochimaru. However, this light seemed to surge with a desire to destroy. Orochimaru was wrapped in lightning, and screamed painfully. The lightning twisted, bending Orochimaru in ways even the Snake Sannin was unable to physically accomplish. His right arm was bent at a 90 degree angle, and suddenly was snapped in two and then forcefully repositioned. This process was repeated with each of Orochimaru's limbs, and then again. It went on for what seemed like hours, and every bone but one was shattered within Orochimaru's body-his spinal column. A renewed set of screams tore their way from Orochimaru's abused throat as his back was twisted into what resembled a double helix, and then the lightning seemed to pause.

Instead of the constant twisting, the lightning seemed to wait on the quivering body. Suddenly, the it seemed to get a second wind. The vicious light dug into the man's skull, penetrating his eye sockets, his ears, and his mouth. Orochimaru's mouth hung open, filled with potent lightning. Tears streamed down his face as scream after blood curdling scream was held with in his body by deadly lightning. Spasms racked his body as the more and more electrical death permeated throughout his being. Holes began to appear in his skin as the force of the lightning tore his innards asunder. Abruptly it ended. His entire body's color inversed; sickly white skin to pitch black, greasy black hair to sickly white. Orochimaru hung in the air in frozen animation, face contorted with pain and fear-no trace of the usual arrogance, and promptly disintegrated. Like he never was.

Collapsing from the effort of just watching Orochimaru die, Sasuke laid back onto the bed. He then felt that…power again. Jumping to his feet, he tried to escape Orochimaru's fate, as he was sure the lightning would be back to finish the job. He was right, but the lightning was not to kill him. Bolt after bolt of lightning pierced through his body, infusing him with heat and power. After it was over, Sasuke opened his eyes painfully. Lightning poured out of his body, and despite the burning pain, his body arched up as unparalleled power left him. The single bolt of lightning flashed westward, its destination unknown. Exhaustion taking him, he felt a-a tug, toward Konoha…and somehow felt that his thirst for vengeance was quenched.

* * *

Next Chapter: Naruto finds out about his bloodline trait, along with his family tree. Where did the two bolts of lightning that shot out Naruto go? Sasuke flees the Sound country, pulled toward an unknown destination. What did the lightning do to him anyway? And what was that single bolt of lightning that went westward? Questions answered and questions revealed in the next installation of **Lightning!!**


	3. Life Energy

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, so I can do whatever the hell I want to as long as I don't profit…legally…

**Chapter Three **

**Life Energy**

* * *

**Konoha Hospital**

"What the hell was that!" Naruto screamed, backing away from the shattered window. "First I get struck by lightning, god knows how many times, and then I start spewing bolts of electricity! What the fuck am I, some fucked up Energizer bunny!?!"

Jiraiya massaged his temples, "Calm down Naruto, everything is fine."

"Easy to you to say, you're not bordering on hysteria!" Naruto barked, a somewhat manic gleam in his eyes.

Sakura rolled her eyes, deciding to deal with Naruto the only way she knew how…and promptly hit him over the head. "Shit, what the fuck was that for!" Naruto protested. "If you would calm down, then maybe Jiraiya-sama will explain. He's enjoying this too much to be confused," Sakura reasoned.

Hearing this, Naruto looked over to the Ero-sennin, and he was indeed, laughing his head off. "Oi, oi, Ero-sennin, what the hell is going on with me?" Naruto demanded. "Hold your horses, brat…AND I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL MOUNTAIN TOAD SAGE JIRAIYA WHO POSSESSES THE POWER OF SEDUCTION OVER EVERY DROP OF ESTROGEN ON THE PLANET!!!!" Jiraiya angrily declared.

Naruto mumbled to himself, "Whatever, you pervert." Jiraiya staunchly ignored the ill-hidden insult, "Now, exactly how many bolts of lightning struck you?" "Like I fucking know, I was getting struck by lightning!" Naruto answered with a bewildered look on his face. "I need to know, so, at least pretend you have a brain and give me a estimate," Jiraiya heatedly retorted. "Fine…I clearly remember six bolts of lightning, and there was more after that…I'm not sure how many," Naruto surmised, "Why do you need to know?"

Before Jiraiya could answer, Tsunade firmly took the helm of the conversation, "Jiraiya, if Naruto is no longer an electrical hazard, I suggest we continue this conversation in my office." She swiftly turned around and headed in the direction of the Hokage's office, leaving a threat in her wake, "If you aren't there when I sit down I will personally rearrange you genitalia…I have the ability to remove all feeling down there you know." She continued walking, strutting forward with absolute confidence that those two morons would be there before she herself arrived.

* * *

After they all had gathered in the Hokage's office, Tsunade began looking through a rack of scrolls hidden in an alcove in the wall. "_I wonder what she keeps there,"_ Naruto asked himself. As he looked at the alcove more closely, he saw that it was hidden by chakra, creating an advanced illusion that was impossible to tell apart from the real thing. What looked like an ordinary wall was actually the entrance to a secret compartment!

Tsunade expertly looked over the scrolls, finding those she sought with a practiced ease. As she sat down, she noticed that Naruto kept shooting glances at her window-it was as if he would suddenly notice he was staring off into space and would snap out of it, only to return and stare out at that same spot again. "Oi, brat, what are you staring at?" Tsunade asked curiosly.

Naruto felt crimson stain his cheeks as he was caught in his daydream, "I-I'm not sure really…" He had no idea why he kept looking at the window. It was as if something was pulling at him, and it was getting stronger by the second.

"Well, if you're done admiring the view, there are important matters to discuss," Tsunade said, annoyance in her voice. Jiraiya, who had been previously occupied with ogling Tsunade's breasts, chose this moment to butt in. "That's right, we need to discuss the activation of your bloodline trait," Jiraiya said, "the lightning."

"WHAT! I don't even know anything about my parents, let alone a bloodline trait passed on through generation! What the hell are you talking about?!" Naruto paced back and forth, continuing his ranting, "How the hell would you know about any way, are you like my long lost perverted uncle who can't keep his perverted hands to himself!?"

Tsunade felt her eyebrow twitch, and she decided to rationally calm Naruto down…and promptly knocked him over with a well-aimed table lamp. "Now that you've chosen to shut up, maybe we'll be able to tell you, brat." "Huh, old hag…" Naruto mumbled, fiercely rubbing his newly acquired head wound.

"As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted, "Jiraiya paused, shooting an annoyed glare at Naruto, "You do have a bloodline trait." "It was passed down to you from your father, Arashi Uzumaki, the Yondaime."

"I'M REALATED TO THE FOURTH HOKAGE! That is so cool!" Naruto jumped up excitedly, his previous injury forgotten.

"Yes, we know. Now let me finish,' Jiraiya implored, "It is very rare and powerful, ancient, and legendary. Since it's creation, only one person has been able to survive the full power of the jutsu, its creator. Being so rare and ancient, the last known users of this powerful technique hid their secrets in the scrolls on Tsunade's desk, encrypted in another script that is difficult to translate. Near as we can tell, it is called _Life Energy_, or something close to that."

"Your father was the first person in centuries to be able to use _Life Energy_, and was struck by only one lightning bolt. Now you know why I asked you how many bolts of lightning hit you, to see how much of the trait you inherited. It is entirely probable that you have the pure form, and got hit by all ten bolts. Arashi was one of history's most powerful ninja, and he had the weakest form of this kekkei genkai. Just think of how the pure form is."

Naruto sat on the floor with a blank look on his face. Jiraiya smirked, "Seeing as you are taking this all in stride, I will continue. As we gleaned from the scrolls, _Life Energy_ grants a…wish of sorts for each lightning bolt endured. The first is increase speed and strength, second is a bond of sorts with someone else, third is the destruction of a bitter enemy, fourth is purification of the body-so Kyubbi is most likely dead, fifth is regeneration of body and spirit, sixth is the fortification of the body, seventh is the generation of a protective barrier, eighth is the insurance of procreation, ninth is something that has to do with equality, and the tenth 'power' is obscured-so we don't know what it does. It seems as though most of this are written in a different language."

"So, what do all those things do? Like the bond, what the crap was that?" Naruto inquired. Sheepishly, Jiraiya answered, "We don't really know, the scrolls didn't give that much detail…However, if you had any dreams while you were passed out, we may be able to know a little more."

"Really? Well, I dreamed about Sasuke and Orochimaru. There was a lot of lightning too, does that mean anything?" Naruto wondered aloud. "Well well well, that's why you were looking towards the Sound earlier. You must have bonded Sasuke and kill Orochimaru! Hehehe that could get interesting!"

"WHAT THE HELL! I'm BONDED to Sasuke!" Naruto fumed, "What does that mean anyway?"

"We really don't know, it could be a platonic bond," Tsunade broke in, "Anyway, you're the one that chose him." Their conversation was cut short as Shizune burst into the room, "Tsunade-sama, there are reports of Sasuke Uchiha headed for Konoha!"

Tsunade smirked. "Well Jiraiya, seems you were right. Shizune, tell the shinobi to not engage Uchiha, allow him into the village, but give him an escort. Do not allow him to harm anyone, but give him free reign of the city."

"Y-yes, Tsunade-sama," Shizune replied, confusion tinting her voice. Turning, she left the room and went to deliver the command.

Jiraiya cleared his throat, "Naruto, we should start your training. You won't be able to use any chakra if you don't master at least one part of the _Life Energy_. Unfortunately, the only thing that I can teach you is your father's _Yellow Flash_, and from there you're on your own."

Naruto was staring blankly out the window, so Tsunade answered for him. "Good, start his training. Have him back up her in five hours; the Uchiha should be here by then. Knowing him he left the second he recovered from the bonding." At the name Uchiha, Naruto returned to his senses. "Right, let's get going Ero-sennin!"

**

* * *

Outside of Konoha**

Sasuke panted, leaning over his knees with exhaustion. He thought over the path that had brought him here, to the very village he left so long ago. That fight with Kabuto. Huh, he thought that the screams were the result of Orochimaru's 'pleasures'. Shuddering, Sasuke leaned against the tree, replaying the experience.

**Flashback**

_Sasuke's eyes opened as he heard the door creak. "Orochimaru-sama, did you enjoy yourself," Kabuto asked the body he assumed held Orochimaru's soul._

_Jumping into a fighting stance, Sasuke glared at Kabuto. "Not really, but killing you should make up for it." With that, Sasuke leapt at the gray haired man._

_Overcoming his shock, Kabuto dodged, balancing on one foot as he bent horizontal to the ground. Brining his other leg around, he twisted into a vicious kick aimed at the base of Sasuke's neck. "What happened to Orochimaru-sama?!"_

_Catching the foot with his hands, Sasuke pulled Kabuto toward him while bending at the waist to bring both feet around at the same time. Due to the lack of control over his body, Kabuto was thrown across the room by the force of two strong legs hitting at the same time. Getting back up, he resumed his stance. Sasuke preformed the necessary hand signs, "Phoenix Fire Blossom!" …and nothing happened._

_Taking advantage of the situation, Kabuto sprung forward and managed to sever some of the muscles in his right arm. Suddenly, Kabuto was thrown backwards, an electrical charge consuming his body. However it had happened, Kabuto died._

_Sasuke turned away from the still twitch corpse, ignoring the scent of charred flesh that slowly permeated through the room. Gathering what he needed, he left, following that urging, that pull, that came in the direction of Konoha._

**End Flashback**

The pull was there, he could feel it. It was as if there was something that had grasped the core of his being and dragged to this point. He felt compelled to enter the village. Squaring his shoulders, Sasuke headed for the gates to the village. _"Hn,"_ he thought, _"I bet it's the dobe's fault…"_

* * *

Yea! Naruto got his trait and Sasuke is at Konoha. I wonder how he'll react to being bonded? I think this chapter was a little worse than the others, so the next one will be better. Sexual tension gets to be introduced soon!


	4. Bonds to Forge

A/N: You're gonna have to wait a little more for the secrets Naruto's bloodline trait…or at least his history. There will be more development with Sasuke and Naruto next chapter. Have fun. I don't own Naruto

**

* * *

Chapter 4: Bonds to Forge**

* * *

Sasuke moved silently toward the village. It had taken him longer than expected to reach his destination, for some odd reason, his chakra was inaccessible. Grunting in annoyance, he hung his head in a desperate attempt to enter the village he once despised as weak without notice. He really had no idea when the feeling had changed, but ever since Orochimaru died he felt as if he was slowly waking up…as if the cobwebs hindering his mind were being brushed away.

As Sasuke passed the two shinobi guarding the gates, he was surprised that they did not intercept him. Really, either he was not considered a threat or they were just stupid. Deciding that they were idiots (come on, of course Sasuke is deadly!), he headed into his former village.

Becoming increasingly flustered, though his great Uchiha pride prevented him from showing it, Sasuke headed toward the Hokage tower. "_What the heck is drawing me here,"_ Sasuke thought-the now familiar tug incessantly gnawing at him. _"Why do I have this feeling?"_

Slowly entering the Hokage tower, he headed up the stairs. It dawned on him that he was heading for the Hokage's office. Once there, the guards did not stop him, though he knew that they recognized him. Puzzled at why they did not stop him, he opened the doors and stepped in, feeling that pull grow in intensity with each passing second.

**

* * *

**

Naruto sat against the wall, exhausted from his training. He smirked, thinking back on how he gained his new jutsu.

Flashback:

"Ok, Naruto, this teleportation jutsu should be good for you. No hand signs, it only requires concentration," Jiraiya said smoothly. "However, considering your concentration, that probably just makes things more difficult for you."

"You stupid perv!" Naruto shouted, "I bet you that I can learn this thing in an HOUR, or I'll take a vow of silence for a week!"

"Done!" Jiraiya cackled with glee, "I'll be generous though, and give you the full five Tsunade set you. Now let me explain it. This jutsu has to do with senses. I cannot do it, but I can tell you how. Reach out with your senses as if you were searching for an enemy ninja, feel the chakra of the objects around you, once you can sense, grab it. You should then appear right next to it. With practice, you will be able to see chakra every where when attempting this jutsu, allowing access to any area in a single flash, without utilizing any of your own chakra."

Naruto got down to business, determined to make that pervy hermit eat his words. The first hour, second, and third all went by without any progress. Jiraiya was happily declaring the next week "Silent Naruto Week", and was giggling with anticipation. Frustrated with himself, he started over again.

Following the steps that Jiraiya set, Naruto reached out with his senses. There was something different, though. Instead of just knowing it was there, it felt solid, and the chakra 'looked' solid too-but everyone knows that chakra can't be seen, let alone actually touched. Reaching out further, he attempted to 'touch' the chakra. It felt like that dream he had, when he had to 'touch' his memories.

Once he brushed against it with his mind, Naruto felt the chakra pulsate, like it was trying to get away. Instinctively, Naruto grasped it. There was a jarring feeling like he was being yanked out of his skin, and then it stopped. Opening his eyes, which had closed once he felt movement, and Naruto found himself a good 50 meters away from where he had started.

Naruto blinked a few times, then jumped with a shout, "I DID IT!!!" Needless to say, the rest of the hour was spent showing off and rubbing Jiraiya's face in his victory.

End Flashback 

Suddenly the door opened, breaking Naruto out of his memories. As the door revealed a similar silhouette, his eyes widened with disbelief. "SASUKE!" Even being told that he was coming, Naruto had doubts of ever seeing him. The proof, however, was-literally-staring him in the face.

**

* * *

**

Sasuke walked into the office, his gaze immediately going to the blond man sitting on the floor, hair obscuring his face from view. His eyes widened slightly, the fact that he actually showed emotion portraying the depth of his surprise. As he glanced at the bronzed man before him, that annoyingly persistent pull stopped. Overcoming his surprise, he found himself staring into sapphire eyes, swirling with depth and emotion. He nearly flinched at the force of the shout that followed, "SASUKE!"

Never one to deal with emotions well, Sasuke fell back on his safety net-anger. "What the hell did you do to me, dobe!? I was fine in Oto, and I get pummeled by lightning and get front row seats to the most horrifying death I have ever seen. Then I get dragged all the way back here by some annoying…pull, only to find that it stops as soon as I see YOU! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!"

Each word the came out of the raven-haired shinobi sent a spark of anger traveling up and down Naruto's spine, gaining force with each pass. "I didn't do one fucking thing, teme!" Naruto exploded, "It's not my fault you got hurt by a little light show!"

Sasuke felt the attack on his pride as much as a punch in the gut, and he gathered himself to retaliate. However, the blond man-who he dimly noticed now stood an inch or two taller than him-refused to stop his rant. "You're the one that fucking left, you bastard. If you didn't want to come back, you shouldn't have. No matter what little 'pull' you had. Do you know how goddamn weak you sounded right now?"

Desperate to get a word in, Sasuke opened his mouth. "Listen, do-" Still, Naruto refused to stop. "No, you listen, _teme_!" Naruto growled as he felt his anger and frustration culminate behind his retinas, coating his world in a red haze.

He stopped though, as he saw Sasuke's openly bewildered gaze, bordering on fright.

Sasuke felt as though struck. He gazed into those once blue eyes, feeling lost in the now crimson depths. He had seen Naruto's eyes this color before, however, there was a new dimension that stood his world on its head. He was staring into the _sharingan_. "W-what the hell did you do, dobe? How did you get those eyes?"

Confused, Naruto was taken aback by the stammering tone Sasuke had taken. "What do you mean, teme? I have always had these eyes, it's not like I got new ones, you know."

Summoning his anger once again, Sasuke responded heatedly. "Yeah right! So you're really Naruto UCHIHA! How the hell did you get the _sharingan_?" Confusion laced itself through Sasuke's thoughts, and it irritated him greatly. Ever since that battle at the Valley of the End, Sasuke was sure that the dobe had no more secrets to hide from him. Now this is thrown at him, what, did the dobe have some scare-the-shit-out-of-people jutsu!?

Naruto was enraged at the assumption that he had taken some _sharingan_ user's eyes. "Where the hell would I have gotten the _sharingan_, asshole? Why the heck would you even joke about that?"

Sasuke was stunned. The dobe really didn't know that he had the _sharingan_. He took a much-needed deep breath. As he came down from his rage induced high, he noticed that Tsunade and Jiraiya were nearly dead from lack of oxygen. From laughing. At him. He felt his anger boil up again, and he had no desire to keep it in him. "What the hell are you two fucking laughing at? Do you even have any fucking idea what just happened, Naruto must have been possessed by Itachi or something. The Kyuubi could have merged his chakra with Itachi's or, or…" Sasuke's words trailed off as he thought of scenario after scenario of Itachi and the Kyuubi joining forces and becoming Super Itachi, or Itachi the Nine-tailed fox. It was horrifying.

Wiping tears from her eyes, Tsunade decided she better explain something to the Uchiha brat. "Listen, brat, the Kyuubi is dead. Furthermore, we were laughing because you actually showed emotion! It was priceless-you looked so funny! And we have pictures!"

Deciding to be the serious one, for once, Jiraiya asked Sasuke a few innocent questions. "How many lightning bolts hit you? Have you figured out how to access you chakra yet?"

Sasuke was put off by the Sannin's knowledge of his current handicap. "Ten. How did you know I couldn't use chakra?"

Deciding she wanted to have the honor of sending the Uchiha into a coma, Tsunade decided to answer that question. "Because, Sasuke, Naruto has bonded you and you must have gained some powers from him, and he from you."

Sasuke promptly fainted at the words "Naruto, bonded, and you".

Naruto looked around in confusion. "So I really have the _sharingan_? Where the hell is a mirror?" Finding one, he saw the infamous doujutsu within his eyes. "That's amazing! Ha, that Sasuke-bastard's got nothing on me now!" Something stuck out to him though, the pupil and the three other marks in his eye were outlined with white. It was strange, because every _sharingan_ he had see was red and black, no white anywhere except the actual eyeball.

Having recovered from her mirthful rampage, Tsunade took Sasuke to hospital room-closely followed by a concerned (but trying exceedingly hard to look nonchalant) Naruto- and performed the necessary medical processes. The Uchiha had put himself under a lot of physical stress, and now that he was unconscious, his body wouldn't wake up until it was rested. About a day or two at least. After appointing Naruto Sasuke's bodyguard, Tsunade headed back to her office.

**

* * *

**

Gathering the scrolls containing information on the elusive _life energy_, or whatever its called, Tsunade sat down to study the encrypted documents, straining for some sign of legibility. The Uchiha getting some form of the kekkei genkai was a surprise. Also, Naruto obtaining the _sharingan_ was a shock in itself. There were too many unknowns with this ability, and it made Tsunade uneasy. Jerking herself out of her inner thoughts, she turned back to pouring over the next to useless scrolls of gibberish, desperately searching for a clue. Her vision blurred as she started to fall asleep, vaguely noting that there something familiar about the scroll she was looking at, and then passed out.

* * *

Shizune burst into the room. "Tsunade-sama! I have important news!"

Her head whipping up painfully, Tsunade demanded to know the meaning of the abrupt intrusion. "What the hell is going on, Shizune? Why did you wake me?"

"There are reports of shinobi in black coats with red clouds kidnapping people by the thousands. All of our strategist ninja have determined that they will be used as foot soldiers. The Akatsuki have been known to be deviants when it comes to chakra and jutsus. They expect the kidnapped people to be genetically enhanced, and practically without a will of their own! Also, the fact that Sasori is part of their organization only makes the claim more plausible. For a puppet master of his caliber, they say it would be relatively simple to animate the experimentations."

Fully awake, Tsunade started formulating a plan of action. "We know for a fact that the must be after Naruto, they don't know about Kyuubi's purification. Evacuate all civilians and get the shinobi assembled to defend Konoha. We don't stand a chance on unfamiliar territory. We know for sure that if they are being seen now, they must have finished their preparations. Akatsuki will bring their army to Konoha, and we must defend it." Shizune rushed to the door. "And Shizune, get the Uchiha outfitted when he returns to consciousness."

**

* * *

**

Sasuke wearily opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a shock of blonde hair. Sitting up abruptly, he wondered where he was. "What the hell happened, dobe? Why did I faint?"

Naruto felt a familiar anger course through him. "Teme, don't call me that! Whatever…so, anyway, when Tsunade-baachan told you that…I bonded you, you fainted. We put you here till you recovered from whatever the hell you did on your way over here."

Sasuke sat in silence. "So all that crap, about us being stuck together, was not just some sickness induced nightmare? Shit!" This was unbelievable! Not only was he unable to kill the blond and get the _Mangekyou Sharingan_, now he was irrevocably linked to the dobe! "Oi, Naruto. What does this bonding mean anyway? How did it happen?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I honestly don't know. I know that I bonded you and killed Orochimaru. That perverted hermit and the old hag say that I have a rare bloodline trait called _life energy_, or something. There are ten gifts or what not, and no one really knows what they do. Oh! And for some reason, it seals your chakra until you manage to master the Yondaime's _Yellow Flash_ technique."

Dumbfounded, Sasuke tried to process some of the information that he had just received. "There is basically no knowledge about what is going on, or why. I have no control over my chakra. I guess that it has something to do with lightning. This is all the information that we have?"

Naruto nodded solemnly, "Yeah, basically. Oh! You're gonna have to learn the Yondaime's jutsu if you want to use your chakra. I can show it to you when you feel better, okay?"

Sasuke nodded by instinct, "Hey, dobe, how long was I out?"

Naruto scratched his head in contemplation, "Not very long, you slept through the night. Baa-chan said that you'd be out for a few days." Naruto grabbed some fruit out of a basket near his feet. "Eat. It's about breakfast time."

Sasuke sat on his bed chewing his fruit, until something suddenly stood out in his mind. "Wait, the Yondaime's jutsu, does that me he had the same bloodline trait? Are you related to him?"

Naruto practically bounced his way off of the chair he was sitting on. "It's about time you caught on Sasuke! Yeah, he was my dad! That's so cool, hm! Isn't that awesome!"

Grunting, Sasuke swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Whatever dobe, lets go train. I need to learn that jutsu."

**

* * *

**

Nostalgia struck both teammates as they headed to the training grounds that where they first trained together. It was hard to keep the memories of all the sparring and verbal jousting at bay. Neither wanted to show the other weakness, and so the memories went unspoken. As Naruto explained the jutsu, and demonstrated it, the two shinobi trained together. The _sharingan_ certainly made learning jutsus easier

**

* * *

**

After demonstrating the _Yellow Flash_ to Sasuke a couple times, the _sharingan_ user was able to use the jutsu to its fullest. Deciding to train muscles that were too long in disuse, they both settled into an easy sparring set. Able to keep the gentle, stretching movement of this beginner-level regiment for hours, they soon lost themselves in the footwork of the routine.

Around lunchtime, they both stopped to get something to eat. Ever since they left the hospital, an uneasy silence had settled over the once-best friends. An unspoken agreement fell between the two as they headed over to Naruto's apartment.

**

* * *

**

Naruto put the required amount of hot water into two cups of instant ramen. Definetly not as good as Ichiraku's, but it was still ramen. There was an awkward silence during the three minutes it takes for the ramen to cook. Naruto sat uncomfortably. He hated silence, at least when he was sparring with the teme he was doing something, it didn't matter that there was no conversation. Sighing, he cradled his head in his hands, trying to figure out what to do with his current situation.

Sasuke sat stoically throughout the uneasy silence. Despite whatever façade he maintained, the gnawing stillness was slowly grating at his resolve. He knew what question was going to be asked, and he didn't know what the answer was anymore. It was maddening, just waiting for the other to ask the inevitable.

The timer for the ramen went off, both boys nearly jumping as the sound was magnified by the unearthly quiet. Naruto quickly grabbed a pair of chopsticks for the both of them, and whispered out a traditional thanks. "Itadakimasu."

For once, Naruto was silent while eating. It was insane! Why couldn't Naruto just ask Sasuke that one stupid question! Sasuke knew what he wanted to ask; you could almost taste the unspoken desire filling the room!

"Umm, Sasuke…why did you leave? I know that you wanted power, but, why Orochimaru? Why him?" Naruto finally got his brain and his vocal cords to work together. He steadfastly kept his focus on his now-empty ramen cup, bracing himself for the slew of angry curses that were sure to come from the easily enraged Uchiha.

"I don't know." Sasuke quietly answered. "When I look back, every since the Chuunin exams, everything has been weird. I remember myself making all sorts of stupid decisions, and I can't justify them. Its like my vengeance took over my body and I was pushed into some dark corner of my mind. It's confusing. It's like I was just doing what Orochimaru wanted without deciding what I wanted for myself. I mean, how would I revive my clan if I gave my body to Orochimaru? I have no idea what happened to me. I have no idea how I changed so much." Sasuke looked down at his own ramen cup, silence retaking the two shinobi. He felt more vulnerable than ever before, it really was like he had just woken up and found that the world had gone on without him. He was so confused.

Naruto didn't move, still in the same position as before. He was stunned. Instead of the anger-filled onslaught that he was expecting, he got a heart-wrenching confession from his usually emotionless ex-best friend. Maybe there was more to the fact that Sasuke defected, maybe he was being forced by some malevolence. Most likely Orochimaru, the very name still creating feeling of anger within the blond. He was glad that he was dead, more so if he was able to take over Sasuke's mind like his new theory promoted.

Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing a panting Shizune. "Shizune-neechan? What are you doing here?"

Her eyes narrowing dangerously, Shizune barely restrained herself from launching some of her poison senbon at the blond shinobi. "What am I doing here, Naruto? What are YOU doing here?!? Sasuke was not supposed to leave the hospital without consent from Tsunade-sama herself! You didn't even tell anyone that you brought the Uchiha out! I have been running all around Konoha looking for you two!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, a goofy grin adorning his face. "Sorry neechan, guess it slipped my mind."

Snorting, Shizune gathered herself. "Both you and the Uchiha are to report to Tsunade-sama immediately.

Snorting indignantly, Sasuke decided to grace the world with his ever-inspiring motivating dialogue. "Hn." If they wanted him to respond differently, they could speak to him-not through Naruto, calling him _the Uchiha_. Seriously.

Stuttering a bit nervously, Naruto decided to take the initiative. "H-hai." Grabbing Sasuke's arm, he made full use of their new jutsu and was in Tsunade's office in less than a second.

**

* * *

Tsunade looked sternly at the youngest Uchiha. Without a word, she stood up and moved to his side. "I need to check both your physical and psychological health. Do not move." She performed the necessary hand signs and a minty green glow enveloped her hands. Placing them on the Uchiha's head, she delved his mind and body for any imperfections. To her surprise, she felt no trace of dark chakra. She was sure it was still there when she had healed him earlier, so, where did it go?**

She quickly checked the Uchiha's neck, finding it unmarked. The curse seal had dissipated. "Good news, Uchiha-brat. The curse seal is gone." Realization struck her, and her eyes showed her displeasure-turning to Naruto with a glare. "Naruto, did you teach Sasuke the _yellow flash_?"

Naruto laughed nervously. "Baachan, why would you think that?" His laughter was cut off as a pair of amber eyes attempted to fire kunai at him with the force of their glare.

"Because, brat, the curse seal remained after Orochimaru's death because it was locked with Sasuke's chakra. Its influence was waning, but it was still there. The only way for the mark to disappear would be to unlock his chakra. Which can only be done with the Yondaime's jutsu." Tsunade's hung her head wearily. "At least this makes things easier for me. Next time, Naruto, you do not help missing nin you are guarding. No matter your history with them! GOT IT!?"

"Yeah, yeah, you old hag." The last thing Naruto saw before hitting the wall was a furiously driven fist.

Sasuke stood impassively in the same spot he had been in when he arrived. Now that Naruto was currently unconscious, he had the Hokage's full attention. Joy.

Tsunade sat at her desk, carefully choosing what she needed to say. "I have closely examined your body, and have determined that you were underneath the control of Orochimaru's jutsu. I am reinstating you as a Leaf Jounin, under the care of Naruto. You will be given full pardon, but cannot go anywhere without Naruto. This is because many will fear that you will be more susceptible to leave." She paused, hesitant to share all of the information. "Wake Naruto up and get your forehead protector from Shizune. We have reason to believe that there will be an attack by Akatsuki."

**

* * *

**

A/N: Sorry 'bout the late update, I'll try to get 5 out faster. It'll be _Fires of Battle _most definitely.


	5. Fires of Battle

A/N: Another update! This chapter has a sad excuse for a war scene. I apologize. I ask that those with weak constitutions to leave the web page.

Disclaimer: No have Naruto en mi casa…

* * *

**Fires of Battle**

* * *

Sasori moved towards the entrance of the laboratory. There were only a few victims left, and after those few; the Akatsuki army would be complete. As he entered the domain of his brainchild, he marveled at his own genius. 

This Kyuubi brat had eluded them for long enough, and now was the time to exploit his weaknesses. It was clear that the village was where they needed to attack. The promise of a massive slaughter would draw him out, desperate to protect his precious people. But then there was the matter of his ally shinobi. Every encounter with the brat had been disrupted by ninja who allied themselves with that annoying bastard child. After much analysis, Sasori himself had created a failsafe plan intended for the Kyuubi brat's downfall.

The Akatsuki member decided to attack Konoha directly, with an overwhelming force. The sheer numbers would more than occupy the enemy forces, allowing no help for the Kyuubi-holder. It would also allow the missing-nins to corral the target, effectively eliminating any methods of escape.

Human sacrifices were required for this plan to work. Without an independent source of chakra, the puppets would be useless after summoning them. The sheer amount of chakra would be immense. By using living bodies, the chakra within them would act as a buffer, meaning that the only chakra the puppet master used would be in the manipulation of his army.

A cry of pain reverberated off the dank walls of the current hideout, snatching the former Suna-nin from his reflections. If he were still capable of such emotions, a smile would have fought to show itself on Sasori's puppet face as the screams of the new victims reached his ears. It was most surprising to the puppet master when he discovered that mutated human bodies created the most effective puppets. Despite the fact that they had their own chakra, they were much more agile than metal contraptions. Also, due to the universal nature of human DNA, simple instruction could cause the flesh puppets to reconstruct themselves in the event of amputation. In effect, the puppets were indestructible, capable of regenerating from the smallest of atoms.

A woman screamed as she watched her child get outfitted for war. The boy's left arm was torn from his body, his shrieks echoing in the dark cave. Light glinted off the steel contrivance that was being brought menacingly to the child, a scream reverberating anew as the offending structure was forcefully shoved into the small body.

What was left of the boy shuddered and bellowed in horrible agony. The metal was hot and burned the young child's skin. Sasori watched as the steel rippled, chakra flowing through it, fusing with the boy's body.

More 'adjustments' were made to the child, each wringing heart-wrenching cries of pain from the boy no older than seven. Sasori made his way over towards the shrieking brat, a syringe of clear liquid in his hands. Looking down at a pain-contorted face, a steady stream of tears and screams emanating from the boy, he calmly injected the vile substance into what was left of an innocent youth. Screams ripped themselves from the body, dwarfing any other sound it had made previously. The poison would not kill the boy, but enhance the body's physical attributes. It would also destroy the child's conscious mind, leaving the body an empty shell. A simple puppet.

Establishing threads of chakra to his creation, he forced his new puppet servant to move over to the mother cowering in the corner. Sasori thought that since the woman brought the former boy into existence, that it was fitting for it to orchestrate her 'death'. He waited for the others to arrive, it was nearly time to execute their plan, and he hated waiting. Blood splashed across his face as the operation began. Lifting a hand, Sasori felt the blood dripping from his head, feeling it between his fingers. Taking a deep breath, he felt at ease. Yes, the acrid smell of blood made waiting much more…tolerable.

* * *

_Naruto sat on the Fourth Hokage's head, taking comfort in the fact that he now knew whom his father was. He understood his connection to this place; he had a natural affinity to the only thing binding him to his father._

_The sun was slowly setting, highlighting the Konoha skyline with hues of flushed pink and pale orange. It was truly breathtaking. He felt the wind ruffle his blond hair, created a tickling sensation as the long spikes brushed against his cheeks. His hair was longer now, almost exactly like his father's, or at least, that was what Jiraiya had told him recently._

_The breeze turned cold as a cloud cast a shadow over his already dimly lit perch, the change in temperature causing a light shiver to dance along his skin._

"_Naruto."_

_Nearly falling, Naruto turned to see who had startled him. As he looked over his shoulder, he saw Sasuke's familiar smirk._

"_Dobe, what are you doing out here?" Sasuke had a look of sincere interest on his face. He wanted to know why Naruto hadn't been at Ichiraku's; he had planned on meeting him there. If Naruto's stunned silence bothered the raven shinobi, he showed no sign of it. He sat down next to the uncharacteristically quiet ninja and they sat there, together, watching Mother Nature paint her nightly masterpiece called dusk._

_Dusk soon turned to twilight, neither boy moving. The pastel colors had slowly deepened or lightened, changing into deep blues or shimmering silvers. It gave the world a celestial feel, as if everything was caught in a strange mirage-the dancing shadows and lights playing with ones mind till it was hard to distinguish the lines of reality and imagination._

_Turning to his companion, Naruto was struck at how the silver moonbeams played across Sasuke's face. The delicate marble white of his skin glowed within the darkness, his hair creating shadows that obscured his eyes. Naruto was unable to comprehend the colors dancing across the boys skin. He had always been pale, but now, he was not. Light blues and opal lights seemed to emanate from his comrade, creating an unearthly glow about him. The moon certainly complimented him. _

_By whatever enchantment had been woven by the night's motif, Naruto felt compelled to lean forward. Sasuke noticed the small movement, a smirk once again found its way to his usually bored mask. A small gasp escaped from Naruto's lips as he saw Sasuke return the gesture. _

_Inches separated the two; hot puffs of breathe teased their lips, contrasting with the cold of nightfall. The starlight was reflected in the polished obsidian eyes of his partner, a knowing glint gracing those stygian eyes. His mind shattered as Sasuke closed the gap between them, lips pressed firmly to his own._

_This kiss was not one from the stories; it was not one of gentle love, kind words, or eternal bliss. The kiss contained love akin to molten ice, ferocious and consuming, burning through their veins. Words were not needed, the intense connection more then speaking for itself. Eternal bliss paled in comparison to this feeling, every ounce of their souls filled with emphatic need and happiness, ecstasy overwhelming every fiber of their being._

_Air was needed, they broke apart. Sasuke's burning touch moved from his lips to his throat. Sucking and nipping his way across Naruto's neck, meandering in any direction he fancied. A tongue snuck out and licked at the shell of Naruto's ear, eliciting a pleasant shudder from the boy underneath him. In between pants and gasps, Sasuke whispered into Naruto's ear, "I want you-"_

_A moan from Naruto interrupted him._

_As breath found its way back into his lungs he tried again, "Naruto, I need you to-"_

_He found himself at a loss for words as Naruto latched onto his neck. "Naruto-"_

"_WAKE UP, DOBE!!!"_

* * *

Naruto was rudely awakened from his pleasant and rapidly heating up dream. Glaring at the bringer of his misfortune, he saw the irritated form of the very man he had been having a somewhat questionable fantasy about. Naruto felt heat rise to his cheeks as he fully grasped what had happened in his dream, no longer able to meet his rival's eye; he looked around to see where he was. 

Fully expecting to be in the Hokage's office, Naruto was surprised to see that he was in a room with the Uchiha crest displayed prominently. "Sasuke, why am I here?" Confusion was evident in his tone; he had never been in the Uchiha district before-it was closed off to everyone but Sasuke. Sasuke hadn't even lived there, he had been in an apartment provided by Konoha. Now that he was eighteen, it became apparent that he was entitled to all the Uchiha wealth.

Sasuke had no idea why Naruto had blushed as soon as he had looked at him. A normal reaction would be to start yelling at your aggravator, however the blond had blushed like a schoolgirl! He ignored the disconcerting interest about his rival's coloring before it had a chance to go sour. It was bad enough that he had enjoyed carrying Naruto from the Hokage's office. On second thought, he hadn't enjoyed the blond snuggling up to him, or the warmth he seemed to emit! It was unnatural! Enjoy it? What the hell was that! It was a mistake, a fluke, and a simple error in vocabulary. He had meant that he loathed it. It was very easy to get those words confused, damnit!

Sasuke felt his eye begin to twitch as the blond idiot looked around, an unmistakable look of awe on his face. "Dobe, pay attention. I am not in the mood to deal with your idiocy, got that?" Naruto whirled around, face twisted in a glare. Sasuke pressed ahead, ignoring any of the possible protests that were sure to be yelled out in that rough, earthy tone. Wait, that annoying squeal…yeah, that's it. "The Hokage expects the Akatsuki to start a war. She also thinks that there will be a huge deficit in shinobi, they have an army. People are being evacuated as we speak."

Naruto was stunned, why would Akatsuki do that? There wasn't a Kyuubi anymore. According to Jiraiya, the Kyuubi had been purified. "Why are they coming here? It's not like there is another Bijuu here in the village, right?" A frustrated look crossed Sasuke's face.

"The Akatsuki don't know that the Kyuubi is gone. You, the Hokage, Jiraiya, and myself know the status of the Kyuubi. No one else." Realization dawned on Naruto, and he felt the fluttering of panic settle in his stomach. "How many people in the army? You said we're outnumbered, is there any way that we'll win?"

Sasuke rubbed his temples; he had known that there would be this many questions from the blond. Oh how he wished for the awkward silence that had surrounded the pair before a tentative bond had been reformed. Even without any encouragement from Sasuke, the other ninja rattled on about this and that, what could happen, blah, blah, and blah. Finally, Sasuke interrupted him. "Tsunade-sama is going to tell everyone the details at the briefing. She wants us there in an hour, dressed and with supplies for a week a fighting. She wants everything a stone's throw away, in easy reach."

"One hour! What the hell! I need to get ready!" Sasuke sighed as the blond started to run to his apartment. He followed silently; he knew his dobe would need help. He himself was already prepared. Suddenly, he froze. His dobe?

* * *

Naruto rushed about his apartment, shoving everything in his missions bag designed for longer time frames. Convinced he had enough, he rushed outside. He abruptly crashed head-on with someone. The two people now mashed together tumbled down the stairs, each step taking extra care to jab the other in the side. Naruto felt the air force its way out of his chest as the other person landed on top of him. 

He opened his eyes to find a very close, very warm, and very real Sasuke Uchiha straddling his waist. Needless to say, he immediately turned red. "S-Sasuke?" Naruto angrily gathered what was left of his dignity. He wasn't a wimp, damnit! "Teme! Get the hell off me!" Naruto made sure to growl it out, just for emphasis.

Maybe it was Pervert Sasuke taking over, some second personality due to his repressed emotions, but whatever Naruto had just growled was extremely arousing to Sasuke. He had just come to terms with the fact that he might have a _semblance_ of an attraction to his friend, and that it _might _have been there before the curse seal poisoned his mind. Anyway, he was pretty sure Naruto hadn't actually said "Teme! Get off with me!" But still, he had felt that growl and its vibrations, and god, it felt good.

He leaned in closer to the blond, and whispered into his ear. "Dobe, you're supposed to…watch…me." Despite his body's yearning for more contact, Sasuke got off the blond that he was apparently attracted to. Very attracted to. "Come on, everyone's already gathering to hear Tsunade."

Naruto lay on the ground for a few stunned moments. Had Sasuke just, made a move on him? Was he still dreaming? He could've sworn that when Sasuke had called him a dobe, the word was dripping with a possessive quality that was a little scary. It made him feel like he was being hunted. And when he had said 'watch', it was extremely suggestive! It was like Sasuke was saying he would ravish him the moment he got the chance! God, he felt like he was going crazy!

Forcing himself out of a Sasuke-induced coma, Naruto got to his feet. "Wait up, you bastard! I'm supposed to watch you remember." And no, he hadn't tripped the moment he said 'watch', and he hadn't been plagued with very inappropriate thoughts of the dark-haired man before him. There was a rock that had leapt at him, oozing with killer intent, desperate to trip him! Those damn pebbles are out to get him, it's the truth!

* * *

Tsunade prepared to address the mass of shinobi gathered around the Hokage mansion. She calmly waited for everyone to arrive. There was some disturbance at the back of the crowd; a flash of blond and orange explained everything she needed to know. A puff of smoke appeared on a branch, leaving a lazy looking Kakashi in its place. 

Certain that everyone had arrived, she gathered herself as she began to prep her troops for battle.

"Attention! We need to get serious here!" The dull roar that had permeated the air was suddenly dispelled. It was quite obvious to the ninja that something was not right. A missing-nin was accepted back without penalty, and an unheard of amount of shinobi was assigned to one mission. Some were downright worried by the implications.

Unwilling to deliver the horrible news, Tsunade took a deep breath. It was highly likely that many of the few hundred shinobi that were capable to fight would not survive the upcoming battle. Her heart nearly broke as she spotted Konohamaru and the other genin. They were so young.

"We face a challenge not faced in generations. An all out battle. The hills and forests surrounding or village will be infested with enemy forces. We will be out numbered, but they will be outclassed. Many of you, if not all, are used to covert battles-few against few. There will be an army at our gates, a mindless horde threatening to overwhelm or village. The numbers will be immense. We must be prepared. I want you to assemble in teams; the line-ups are posted in the missions room. You must support your fellow team members, as well as the teams around you. Without this, we will all be wiped out. All of you will be on guard, ready to ring the alarm should anything appear out of the ordinary. Prepare for battle. Prepare for honor. Prepare for death."

Without another word, Tsunade left the stunned crowd. She herself had the responsibility to keep Konoha safe, and many primitive defenses needed to be re-commissioned.

* * *

The Next Day

* * *

The summer sun rose slowly over the horizon, the alert shinobi appropriately tense. Ready for action at a moments notice without the consequences of cramped muscles. The genin assigned to this mission were ignorantly excited, the chunnin solemnly awaiting the battle, the jounin grimly determined. 

Steam rose from the ground as the cold dew was burned from existence, cloaking one's field of vision in a luminescent cloud. Every eye was intently scanning the horizon. Naruto nervously glanced at Sasuke, wondering how he would react to seeing Itachi.

Sasuke stood stiffly, every muscle as tense as a coiled spring-raw energy waiting to be unleashed. His brother. His family. His revenge. His friend. Everything flashed through his mind in a tumult of crashing thoughts. He closed his eyes, willing away the scars left by Tsukiyomi.

Focus, he needed focus. Sasuke didn't operate on emotion; he knew this. Rash thinking and actions had foiled every encounter with Itachi. He needed calm, decisive, knife-sharp reactions. Focus.

He took a deep breath, the turmoil slowly rolling off his body. He felt himself relax. He assumed his at-the-ready stance. Every muscle was loose, his body held from his shoulders. To all appearances, it was nothing but an infuriatingly arrogant pose. Unknown to all, it heightened his reaction time, highly honed instinct and reflexes held at the ready. Itachi won't get the better of him this day; he won't escape this fight. He won't avoid his judgment, Sasuke's vengeance.

* * *

Akatsuki stood on a hill within sight of Konoha's gates. A simple valley stood between them and their goal. Without a word, they gathered in the ordained positions. 

Itachi and Kisame stood apart from the rest, designated to fetch the Bijuu. Itachi had the skill; Kisame had the power. Itachi was unmatched in combat; Kisame had Samehada to absorb the brat's chakra-as well as an ample supply of his own.

The rest of Akatsuki gathered in a circle, preparing to lend their chakra to Sasori. Sasori would manipulate the army with an amassed strength from the entirety of Akatsuki. Much like extracting a Bijuu-which is exactly what they were doing. If in a different way.

A scroll was taken out by Sasori, who promptly dipped his finger in blood, and prepared for the summoning of his army. He dragged his finger along the length of the scroll. When finished, he threw it into the air above the valley. Assembling his chakra threads from the combined strength of the organization, he prepared for battle.

* * *

A loud roar blasted through the valley, accompanied by a huge column of smoke. The Konohagakure ninja knew what was approaching. The battle had begun. 

Whatever preconceived notions anyone had on the state of the Akatsuki army were completely blown away by the reality of the situation. Several less experienced ninja threw up at the grotesque mass before the village.

Twisted beings of muscle and sinew stretched out along the valley. Each had there own inhuman form. Red tissue showed through torn flesh, steel roughly joined with bone. Small bodies with overly large metallic limbs were on the shoulders of their larger counterparts. They resembled monkeys. Every 'soldier' had bulging muscles barely contained in paper-thin skin. Many were clearly opaque, organs showing through the once human puppets.

Bones were replaced with steel, jaws removed from faces; limbs and heads placed at unnatural angles. Each body looked as though twisted in by a bone-breaking process, an agonizing blend of unnatural shapes and materials. Sharp shards of bone broke through sinew.

Some were even worse. The ogres that Orochimaru had created were nothing compared to this. Some looked as though impaled on another body.

Despite the disturbing features of the soldiers, there was no doubt that the most fearsome feature of the soldiers was their eyes. The shinobi had no need to see them, the distinct chill that came from looking into their faces was clear. Fear was emanating from those faces, enveloping the weak of heart. The Konoha ninja knew that someone had achieved the impossible. The bodies lived, but the soul did not. The mind had been wrested from these poor people. Every chance to enjoy life was now out of their grasp. Their very future forfeit for the benefit of Akatsuki.

* * *

An unspoken agreement worked its way across the shinobi ranks. Torrents of kunai and shuriken were hurled at the monsters. A loud roar was heard as great gusts of wind tore threw the ranks of the enemy, gouging a good number of the foe's forces. 

Eyes automatically traced the trajectory of the cause of the destruction, landing on a orange clad ninja. Naruto had no idea what had happened to his shuriken, but he was grateful that it took out a lot of the opponents' soldiers.

As the ninja once again focused on the battlefield, the watched in horror as something happened to those that fell to Naruto's shuriken. Amputated masses of flesh quivered, writhing in place. The lumps of muscle and tissue squirmed in random directions, only stopping when coming into contact with another pile of goo. The puppet slime crawled over itself, molding and forming, resulting in a new puppet. Everyone felt the implications in their hearts. These things were indestructible.

Ninja squads acknowledged one another, pledging to survive another day. With a wordless battle cry, the Konoha ninja launched themselves at their opponents.

Blood flew everywhere. Skin and organs erupted. Jutsus were thrown at the enemy forces with eager valor. There was something off though. The puppets were barely animate. Simply a wall of sheer muscle and bone. The teams were swiftly separated from one another, the moving mass of bodies sweeping allies away from one another.

The jounin watched helplessly, as they saw the largest group of puppets begin the attack. In the center of the circle were Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. The Akatsuki had achieved their goal. It was simply a matter of time before Kyuubi was in their hands.

* * *

Itachi and Kisame watched the battle passively. They kept their eyes trained on their target. Kisame didn't bother to hide his disdain for the Kyuubi brat and Uchiha. It appeared as thought both ninja had digress in recent years, they really hadn't needed this elaborate plan. 

The two boys were inconsistently landing blows. At times they would seem to exude deadly grace and power, at others, they would clumsily vault over their opponent. Hands flashed in jutsus that either never worked or had too much chakra and quickly fell apart. Kisame waited for Itachi's signal.

Itachi watched his little brother and his 'friend' battle through crimson eyes. There was something off in both shinobi. Their chakra was erratic, pulsing in an uncontrollable manner. It seemed as though the battle would end soon. He gave the signal to Kisame…they had waited long enough.

* * *

Sasuke was full of barely constrained fury and frustration! His focus was holding, but just barely. Nothing seemed to work! He couldn't even use taijutsu, random bursts of chakra were totally screwing with his fighting. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Naruto was having the same problem. 

What was worse was that when his jutsus did work, they were nearly uncontrollable. His chidori nearly killed him in a maelstrom of lightning-it exploded within seconds. Naruto's clones kept bursting without even being touched, and his rasengan was incapable of forming.

Taking out a kunai, he focused on dismembering his opponents. Sasuke swung his arms, slicing neatly through the contorted being before him. He felt his arm numb from the jolting sensation of severing flesh and the shock of cutting bone. Blood splashed across his face unheeded, his eyes blank as he watched the severed muscle reach for its former resting place. The skin and sinew melded anew, as if never separated.

Naruto wasn't having any better luck. His shuriken didn't create gusts of cutting wind anymore. And every attack was either parried, avoided, or rendered useless as the puppets recreated themselves. Blood and guts clung to him as he kept tearing at his enemies. Veins burst, organs demolished, all vital areas bleeding profusely. These things wouldn't die!

Pain erupted in his leg. Naruto collapsed as he found himself unable to but weight on his left foot. He looked down, finding it cut clean off his body. An arm lay beside his severed leg, and he looked over at Sasuke. It seems like the same blow had caught Sasuke in mid-flip. It was over; there was no way the two of them could stave off an army without use of all their limbs.

The masses parted, revealing two black coats adorned with red clouds. Itachi and Kisame.

* * *

Sasuke felt pain in his right arm. He could still feel it, but it wasn't there. It lay a few feet from him, blood still pooling around his former limb. His brother looked down at him, he could feel the hate, and the disappointment. 

"Foolish little brother, here I thought you were improving. It seems as though you can't even best mindless civilians." Disdain dripped from his mouth, he unconsciously severed the head from a puppet. Itachi watched disinterestedly as it reconnected itself to its body.

Heat enveloped the stub that Sasuke's arm had formerly occupied. Heat and pain. It felt as though he had exploded. Something burst from his arm, growing and hardening. Forming, living.

Sasuke looked down at his shoulder, surprised to see a new arm identical to his last one. Blood stained the new limb, slowly trickling down the newly formed skin. Without a word, he launched himself at Itachi.

Naruto underwent the same process, awe etched across his face. His new leg felt strong, and if it was a little odd to have a new leg, some things were better left forgotten. Dismissing his re-growth, Naruto attacked Kisame with his full power.

Naruto silently created two shadow clones, circling the shark-like ninja in an indistinguishable blur. Surprised that the clones hadn't blown up yet, he twisted their charka systems into a swirling rasengan. One clone dispelled itself, incapable of maintaining the strain. The last one broke away from the original, lunching itself at Kisame.

Samehada easily deflected the attack. But something unexpected happened. Instead of disappearing in a puff of smoke, the clone began to rotate and expand. Soon, what resembled huge rasengan was drilling away at Samehada, until it finally exploded. Whips of chakra attacked the missing-nin, his body cut into multiple pieces. Pieces of Kisame were impaled on pieces of Samehada. Naruto heaved a sigh, he couldn't continue anymore. His body could still go on, but his mind was incapable of thought. A trance-like state overtook him.

Sasuke was finally getting the best of Itachi. Sharingan versus sharingan, and Sasuke had landed more hits. Blood was flowing freely from both their arms and legs. Every movement left a burning that slowed down the two Uchihas. Sasuke would finally kill Itachi. As long as there were no chakra pulses, he could take his older brother down.

"Your dead Itachi. I have finally surpassed you." If Sasuke had been anyone else, he would be nearly giddy.

"Foolish. You may be able to best me at taijutsu, but my Sharingan clearly surpasses yours." Without a word, Sasuke was caught in the Mengekyou Sharingan. Sasuke was trapped in Tsukiyomi.

NO! Sasuke's mind reeled as he was pulled into the all-to-familiar world. He felt the rough wood beneath his feet, he saw his parents' dead bodies. He felt the same chi-

Sasuke's eyes opened; somehow, the Tsukiyomi had been disrupted. His mind weak, he saw his brother thrashing about- two feet in the air. Like Orochimaru… blackness overtook him.

* * *

The Konoha ninja could not look at Itachi's death. Lightning burned its way across his flesh, burrowing into his body. Spears of light lanced through flesh, ripping holes in random junctures. The consuming light buried itself down his throat, forcing Itachi to swallow his screams. His eyes had long since lost the glint of life and conscious thought, destroyed by the blinding electrical charge enveloping his carnal vessel.

* * *

Itachi was in pain beyond anything he had ever felt. Somehow the Tsukiyomi had turned against him, trapping himself in his own world created as an instrument of psychological destruction. Lightning consumed his flesh; eating at him, burning him, killing him. He was trapped. He longed for death, but found no relief. Locked in the world of Tsukiyomi, his soul endured his death, without end. Pain incarcerated every atom of his being, until darkness wiped out what was left of his mind. As his body yielded his soul to the netherworld, Itachi was no more. Things that had defined him were gone-his coldness, his ambition, and his power. Itachi was no more.

* * *

Something akin to surprise flitted across Sasori's mind as he took in what was happening to Itachi. This was not supposed to happen, Akatsuki could not be defeated so easily. Hands flickered, sending distinct orders to the puppets closest to the sharingan wielder. 

Puppets moved disjointedly, rushing at the thrashing body. Unnatural movements reached out to the Akatsuki member, attempting to free Itachi from the overwhelming electrical cage.

The second one of the former humans made contact with the body, the lightning expanded. It enveloped the pitiful excuse of a living creature, traveling the expanse of the puppet before escalating to the painful level of death experienced by the Uchiha.

Lightning is impossible to predict, impossible to track, impossible to contain. As the tangible light surged at the puppet, the fate of Akatsuki was sealed. The physical make up of human beings is centered on a weak electrical charge, allowing an external charge to travel from one body to the next by means of contact. When Sasori attempted a rescue, a horrible chain reaction was set in place.

Lightning transferred and multiplied as it fought its way from puppet to puppet. Time slowed, what took seconds in reality was spread across an eternity. Chakra threads linked the Akatsuki army, every soldier enveloped in the crushing power that destroyed Itachi. The energy worked its way back up the valley, soon encompassing the entirety of the Akatsuki forces.

A flow of energy tingled at Sasori's fingertips; he stood still. Knowing what was coming, yet unable to react in time to stop it. They were going to die.

The energy multiplied. A tingle transforming to a stinging, a stinging escalating into a burning, a burning soon set his skin ablaze. His mind was torturously slow at processing the pain. Every second drawn out, every sensation carefully analyzed and sent to the brain. His body's natural processes created the ultimate death, an unheard of amount of pain for an undetermined amount of time.

His mind was losing it self, soon submitting to pure feel and instinct. And instinct told him to weep in the face of death. Instinct took over. Sasori did not want to die; he did not want to give up his life! Out of the corner of his eye, he remotely saw all of his 'comrades' enduring the same pain he had. An old saying stuck in his mind, "At least I have friends in hell". Somehow, that was no consolation.

* * *

Tsunade stared in gross fascination at the thousands of simultaneous deaths occurring before her very eyes. Bodies were twisted unnaturally, morbid cries filling the air. She recalled the memories she had sorted through while gauging Sasuke's mental health; this was like Orochimaru's death on a scale of thousands. 

The very earth shook as an entire host of bodies were lifted off the ground by power emanating from the deadly lightning. Killer intent hung in the air like a poisonous smog, so thick one could choke on it. Bones were shattered, limbs bent, and screams were plugged by the all-encompassing death made light as it enveloped the mass of humanity before the woman. She felt jaded to this, having seen its very likeness in Sasuke's mind.

What happened next shook her to the core. Instead of a relatively clean death, where the electricity seemingly vaporized the victim, an unspeakable horror began.

Screams ripped through the horde of flesh puppets. Limbs were detached from their bodies and then thrown towards another being. The entire army had digressed from a fearsome power to a disgusting game of mix and match. New heads created themselves at awkward angles. Arms forced their way out of stomachs. Severed limbs latched onto the nearest target, burrowing into the flesh of their newest prey. Torsos devoid of limbs crashed into other independent mounds of flesh, quivering as the formed a grotesque combination. On and on the terror went, multiplying as each new creature was formed and torn apart, mashed with another, and created anew.

Then there was that moment. That lull in time. Tsunade recognized it. At this point, Orochimaru had been turned to dust. What would happen now?

Organs exploded in a burst of tissue and blood. Immediately the air was clogged with the sickly sweet smell of decay. The entirety of the battlefield was painted solidly in the red of human flesh. Many gagged on the acrid smell of blood, others on the slick greasy smell of skin.

Tsunade counted the losses; well over fifty of her forces had died. For once, she was glad that Naruto had taken precedence in the eyes of Akatsuki. She sprinted across the war zone, eyes seeking that familiar orange jumpsuit. Tsunade gasped with relief as she spotted the ninja, especially when she determined that he was in stable condition. She scooped up the blond bundle and, after a moment to look around, she took the Uchiha brat as well.

That scroll had yielded a clue, and she needed the two for its interpretation. Understanding Naruto's bloodline was more important then every. The two ninjas overly powerful jutsus were a danger to themselves and to their comrades. While she had been watching the battle, Neji had approached her on the duo's apparent incompetence.

Flashback

_"Tsunade-same, I assume that you have seen how Naruto and Sasuke are fighting?"_

_"Of course, at least four of their own comrades have received substantial damage as a result of those two idiots' inability to control themselves!"_

"_Its more than that, Tsunade-sama. Their chakra is…irregular. It…pulses, as if alive. Their chakra flow is not the only problem. My byakugan shows that their chakra gates are intermittently opening and closing-randomly multiplying their energy output. I fear…that they cannot regain control."_

End Flashback

If her theory was correct, then things would become clear soon enough. All she had to do was wait.

* * *

Blue eyes slowly slid open. Naruto found himself staring at the ceiling of the Hokage's Office. Startled, he shot forward. 

"Usuratonkachi, nice of you to join us." Sasuke's face had that all-to-familiar smirk on it.

"Tem-!!" Naruto was cut off by a sock hitting him at a fatal speed. Luckily it missed vital areas due to his Human-fangirl-shield no jutsu-which promptly sent Sakura to the hospital. He knew there was a reason for keeping that girl around!

Tsunade glared at Naruto. "Shut up, you little brat! We need to get you two back into top form. I know you both know you suck, and you would've died if Sasuke hadn't sent out that lightning thing when you bonded him. Apparently, his hatred was rooted in the Mengekyou Sharingan. That was why the lightning didn't attack until today. Enough of that, though. This holds the answers to all our questions." She held up an unfamiliar scroll. "This scroll is from the same village as your kekkei genkai, Naruto."

"Baa-chan, what is that going to do? you can't even read it that stuff" Naruto was definitely confused.

"I could recognize something. There is a seal, and I want to find out what it is. For that, I need your blood Naruto."

"Whatever, you old hag, I think you've finally lost it." Naruto was a little disappointed. What was sealed in there? Someone to spill all the secrets of _life energy_, or whatever the crap it is?

"Just give me your damn blood!" Fucking brat was getting on her nerves, damnit!

Tsunade took a kunai and stabbed Naruto's thumb with it, letting the now bloodied knife hang over the scroll she just opened. A crimson teardrop fell slowly to the seal. The black ink glowed and chakra smoke poured from the seal. The smoke rose higher and higher. Twisting around itself, it abruptly expanded, exploding across the room. Darkness followed in its wake.

* * *

And everyone died, the end! Just kidding (Sharp objects thrown at author) 

A/N: Finally! I finished! I know, it sucks. If you want me to update faster, and possibly better, please review. Reviews are so much fun to have! Oh, oh! I bet you all want me to tell you what's gonna happen, huh? Well, I know this isn't much of a cliff hanger, but I still won't tell ya! Also, check out my one-shot. There's more to come! (I need to know if my lemons will fit in this story).

* * *


End file.
